


At Ease

by addyke



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Episode: s04e03 The Final Problem, Gen, Missing Scene, Rescue, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-09-18 00:21:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9353738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addyke/pseuds/addyke
Summary: Spoilers for The Final ProblemSherlock Holmes and John Watson are finally reunited after their greatest battle.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Missing scene from The Final Problem.

There was the slightest echo of a memory as Eurus lead Sherlock by the hand through the long grass, to the very edge of the Musgrave property. She held the lantern in her other hand, a ghostly figure in her white pyjamas.

Sherlock broke the silence of the night as he shouted down the phone, begging for the police, ambulance, cave rescue, everyone, anyone to get there, get there now, to save John Watson.

Suddenly he could hear the sound of rushing water and his panic rose, praying to a God he insisted didn’t exist that he wasn’t too late.

‘John! John!’ His calls were eaten by the night with no reply except the water.

‘Eurus,’ He turned her to face him. ‘Please, tell me - where is he? Where’s John? Where’s the well?’

She simply pointed. Sherlock took the lantern from her and ran in the direction of her extended finger, eyes searching for the tell-tale stone of a well wall. He couldn’t find it but suddenly he spotted it - not the well, but a valve.

He sprinted towards it, ignoring the nettles that stung him with every step. He dropped the lantern as he reached it. Rust had gathered on nearly every part of the metal surface. But the joint itself had been recently oiled and Sherlock grabbed the handle of the valve and wrenched it with all his might.

The sound of the flowing water gradually disappeared and night grew quiet again.

’Sherlock!’

The voice was faint, echoing against the wet stone,

‘John!’ Sherlock grabbed the lantern from the ground and broke out into another run, towards that sweet sound. ‘John!’

‘Sherlock!’ John answered ‘In here!’

The walls of the well were low and hidden in the long grass. Sherlock came a sudden halt and had to reach out with his hand to stop himself from toppling in. He raised the lantern to illuminate the dark hole.

John smiled up at him ‘Never thought I’d be so happy to see you, Sherlock!’

‘Are you alright?’ Sherlock shouted, relief flooding through him.

‘As well as can be expected.’ John was treading water with his arms to keep his head above the surface but at least the water was no longer rising.

Drowning was no longer the imminent danger - hypothermia was the next problem.

‘Help is on the way, John.’ The helicopter roaring over their heads confirmed this. ‘I’m here, John. I’m right here.’

Eurus settled on the grass, sitting cross-legged as she watched her little brother call down to his friend in the well with a curiosity that she couldn’t quite understand.

*****

Cave rescue had set up floodlights and a wrench and pulley system at the mouth of the well and promptly lowered one of their number down to free John’s ankles from the chains and wrench him back up.  
They tried to move Sherlock from the well’s edge but he would not shift. He did not speak, just watched as they worked to pull John Watson out of yet another hole he had gotten him into.

A steady hand gripped his shoulder in a reassuring squeeze.

‘He’ll be alright. It will take more than a little cold water to take out Captain Watson.’ Lestrade could feel the tension coiled in Sherlock’s shoulders.

‘No thanks to me.’ Sherlock muttered.

‘Hey, Sherlock. You found him, you got us here in time.’

‘He wouldn’t be in there if it wasn’t for me… neither of them would be.’

Lestrade surpassed a gag at Sherlock’s cryptic answer, not daring to think about what other secrets the well held. He looked towards the culprit, still sat on the grass, watching the rescue with a curious expression on her face. Not bored, not quite indifferent, more… removed. Mycroft Holmes had given him a brief report from the cell that he found himself in, of what this woman had done, was capable of. His officers hovered in the background, afraid to even approach.

Sherlock didn’t look away from John for a second but he knew the direction of Lestrade’s gaze.

‘Be gentle with my sister, please.’ He said softly.

Lestrade gave Sherlock’s shoulder another squeeze, as a shout came from within the well.

‘We’re ready! Take us up!’

Slowly but steadily, the pulley squeaked as the rescue worker and John were wrenched to the surface. Sherlock let out a sigh of relief as John emerged, strapped to his rescuer, wearing a red caving helmet.

Cave rescue worked quickly to detach him, and John collapsed on the grass, fumbling to remove the helmet and starting to shiver violently.

The paramedics on standby started to approach but Sherlock was there in a few long strides and knelt on the grass beside him.

‘John! Thank God, John…’ He pulled him into a tight embrace. ‘Are you alright? Please, tell me you’re alright!’

John returned the embrace just as tightly ‘I’m fine, I’m fine - just need some dry clothes and hot tea, I’m fine, Sherlock.’

One of the paramedics tapped John on the shoulder and as they stood up and broke apart, handed them a blanket. Sherlock took it and wrapped it around John tenderly.

Eurus was now being lead away by two police officers, and went compliantly and without a sound. She stopped and stared for a moment, at her brother and his friend. They had both relaxed into nervous giggles as the adrenaline left their systems.

Two soldiers - two comrades, finally standing down, at the end of their greatest battle.

 

 


End file.
